hay vrs green grasses

[jamesedwardwaller]

correct me if i am wrong,,but hay ie timothy/orchard grass and green grasses growing abundantley around the house are the same thing,,yes/ no??..if yes-then they are all nondigestible fibers--might sound like a dumb question but my cottontails tummy is growling loud enough to be heard 2 ft away,,he is not fond of infant simethicone and gets a small portion of pellets,etc.,digestible fibers,daily,,,does anyone know what.plant./mint??- can be substituted for infant simethicone.?? sincerely james waller:wave:ink iris:

 

[bengal77]

I'm not sure what you mean by green grasses growing around your house. Do you live by hay fields? Are you referring to the seed stalks that grow out of normal grass in your yard? Those are not the same as timothy hay, as far as I know.

I'm not an experienced owner but from my research it appears that rabbits need hay for the long, insoluble fiber in order to keep their GI tract healthy. It sounds like you think your bunny is having gas issues. Are you currently feeding them any cruciferous vegetables? Some veggies like brocolli, cabbage, celery, etc... can cause gasiness because they contain raffinose. Try cutting back on those if you are feeding them to your bunny.

Even if you avoid gas producing foods your bunny will still have gas. I can hear Lily's stomach gurgle sometimes when she drinks water. I believe this is because she is also swallowing air as she drinks.

It's actually the soluble fiber that can cause gas. If your rabbit is gas-prone I would think about cutting back on the vegetables they eat and giving him more hay, which is primarily insoluble fiber and will help reduce the gas in her GI tract. Please note that some gas is normal and inevitable.

Have you tried other types of anti-gas meds like beano or x-gas? There are also some home remedies to get rid of flatulence (they list mint, clove oil, and ajowan) but I have no idea if they are safe or effective for rabbits. Mint was talked about quite a bit and as that is a safe herb I would try that first.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Cheryl is correct; timothy and yard grass are not the same thing, and timothy serves a very specific function for rabbit digestion.

However, if your rabbit is legitimately a cottontail, I personally feel that it is acceptable to provide grass & safe wild greens in the diet. I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and we never raise our baby cottontail bunnies on pellets. We always provide varied abundant dried grasses such as timothy hay, as well as plenty of grasses & safe greens from outdoors (and a little fruit/veg of course). This more closely mimics their natural diet than something loaded with corn, soy, wheat, or preservatives like many pellet brands. And it better prepares them for release.

Of course, if your yard is close to a road, if you spray it, if you use herbicides, or if you've simply greatly diminished the natural diveristy of grass species by intensive yard maintenence selecting just one type, you obviously shouldn't feed this to your bun.

 

[Maureen Las]

James ..why can't you get the simethicone down the bun? ..could you flavor it with juice or something?

The grasses around the house would be fresh grasses and hay is dried grasses so that is not the same thing..
butI know very little about a cottontail diet other than that they eat all the flowers in my yard

 

[Maureen Las]

I do think that a lot of fresh green grass can cause bloat in a rabbit

 

[Hazel-Mom]

angieluv wrote:

I do think that a lot of fresh green grass can cause bloat in a rabbit

I do believe that's only if you give them a lot, when they aren't used to it. If you treat it like any other vegetable or green, and get them used to it gradually, there is no reason it should do that.

 

[bengal77]

Hazel-Mom wrote:

angieluv wrote:

I do think that a lot of fresh green grass can cause bloat in a rabbit

I do believe that's only if you give them a lot, when they aren't used to it. If you treat it like any other vegetable or green, and get them used to it gradually, there is no reason it should do that.

All animals have a difference tolerance level. I would suggest cutting out fresh vegetables for a few days and then slowly re-introducing them until you find your rabbit's threshold. In the meantime you could continue to give them mint or a simethicone like beano or gas-x.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

thank you everyone,,for your replys,,as one suggested keeping to a more natural diet.-cottontail-.some.mint(plant)-would most likely do the job...sincerely james waller

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

RandomWiktor wrote:

Cheryl is correct; timothy and yard grass are not the same thing, and timothy serves a very specific function for rabbit digestion.

However, if your rabbit is legitimately a cottontail, I personally feel that it is acceptable to provide grass & safe wild greens in the diet. I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and we never raise our baby cottontail bunnies on pellets. We always provide varied abundant dried grasses such as timothy hay, as well as plenty of grasses & safe greens from outdoors (and a little fruit/veg of course). This more closely mimics their natural diet than something loaded with corn, soy, wheat, or preservatives like many pellet brands. And it better prepares them for release.

Of course, if your yard is close to a road, if you spray it, if you use herbicides, or if you've simply greatly diminished the natural diveristy of grass species by intensive yard maintenence selecting just one type, you obviously shouldn't feed this to your bun.

yep,,he is 100% cottontail,,his diet is as you say,,timothy/grass and dandylions,,but is it redundant to feed timothy and grasses/all nondigestible,,,he is an easter baby-going on 4 yr.old,,dvm said only a small amount-(-one tablespoon)of pellets for vitamins and digestible nutrition-daily-(ie.purina rabbit chow)-..what greens i do pick are away from vehicle emmissions/herbicides,etc.....sincerely james waller:wave:ink iris:

 

[Maureen Las]

I just found some info in Kathy Smith/Lucille Moore's book 'When Your Rabbit needs Special care.

I will quote from the book as I have no personal experience using herbs as treatment and have no idea whether this is accurate info although most of the info in her books is accurate and she is a reliable source on rabbit care and medicine.

"GI System Support"

"Herbs can be useful in preventing digestive upset and in treating early signs of discomfort from minor gas attacks. The herbs discussed in this section should NOT be substituted for a vet visit in cases of GI upset that are severe, appear to be worsening , or last more than a few hours without significant improvement.
The following herbs may help maintain or restore GI health


Fennel: reduces gas and may help appetite

Ginger:improves digestion

Papayafresh or dried without added sugar) stimulates appetite and aids digestion. Carefully check the label on papaya tablets. The main ingredient in many brands is sugar and not papaya.

Parsley: relieves gas and stimulates normal GI activity. It is easy to find it in most grocery stores and most rabbits enjoy it.

Peppermint : helps relieve gas and is a digestive aid. Note: Peppermint may counteract the effects of some homeopathic remedies.

Spearmint: relieces gas and colic . It is similarto peppermint butismilder. Some rabbits who don't like peppermint may enjoy spearmint


Thyme:elimintes gas and helps expel some intestinal parasites.


Pg 354-355 "When Your rabbit needs Special care"

Hope this helps your little cottontail James....

 

[tamsin]

It's not redundant to feed grass/hay, they should make up roughly 80% of his diet. Grass contains both indigestible and digestible fibre. Grass is the main thing wild rabbits live on so if you want to get the right balance of indigestible/digestible fibre that's the best thing to feed.

If your rabbit doesn't already eat fresh grass the middle of a gas/gut issue is probably not the best time to introduce it. I would suggest hay, hay and more hay